Diabetes mellitus

Signs and symptoms

This disease can be silent or cause symptoms such as:

• excessive thirst;
• frequent urination;
• weight loss;
• tiredness;
• visual changes.

It also frequently causes several chronic vascular complications, namely:

• neuropathy (disease of the nerves throughout the body);
• nephropathy (kidney disease);
• retinopathy (disease of the retina);
• coronary (heart) disease;
• cerebrovascular (brain) disease;
• peripheral arterial disease (arterial vessels);
• diabetic foot;
• erectile dysfunction (resulting from various complications).

It can also cause acute complications, all of which are endocrine emergencies, such as:

• diabetic ketoacidosis;
• severe hypoglycemia;
• hyperglycemic hyperosmolar syndrome.